Dr. Jennifer C. Smith, an accomplished and published toxicologist specializing in envenomation (the process by which venom is injected into human beings through a bite of a venomous creature) at Loma Linda University Medical Center recently addressed physicians and staff at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital on the subject of managing and treating rattlesnake bites.
This was a timely subject, because the Santa Clarita Valley is experiencing a three-year drought and with meteorologists forecasting hot weather ahead, it is likely that area residents will encounter more rattlesnakes this summer.
Dr. Smith explained that rattlesnakes are the only venomous snakes that exist in California. Out of six species of rattlesnakes found in the state, the Southern Pacific rattlesnake is the one to which the Santa Clarita Valley is home.
If bitten by a rattlesnake, Dr. Smith advises doing the following before seeking hospital care:
• Do not cut the tissue where the snake bite occurred.
• Do not attempt to suck the venom out of the tissue.
• Do not apply a tourniquet.
• Do not put ice on the tissue where the snake bite took place.
• Do not apply electric shock.
Instead, Dr. Smith advises anyone who is bitten by a rattlesnake to do the following:
• Place the part of the body that was bitten in a neutral position at the level of the heart.
• Remove tight clothing and jewelry.
• Get medical help as soon as possible to have access to antivenom.
• Stay calm, but run if necessary to arrive at a hospital for treatment as soon as possible.
Dr. Smith also provided some tips on what residents can do to avoid being bitten by rattlesnakes near their homes.
• Clear low and thick brush near the home.
• Do not place bird feeders in backyards, as seed fall to the ground, attracting rodents that in turn attract rattlesnakes that feed on them.
• Watch where you put your hands and feet.
• Call animal control if you see a rattlesnake.
• If you have to remove the snake, use a large shovel to lift it into a big trash can with a secured lid.
Dr. Smith noted that 10 to 25 percent of all rattlesnake bites occur without the snakes injecting venom into the body. She said symptoms of snakebites will typically occur within eight hours. If no symptoms occur after that time period, the snakebite was most likely dry, and no venom was injected.
There are about 7,000 reported snakebites in the United States each year. Of all the snakebites in the U.S., only about 15 deaths per year are a result of a venomous snakebite. However, there are other related injuries such as limb loss and loss of feeling.